Drain cleaning devices have been provided to remove or push through obstructions that become lodged in piping circuits. These devices, which are well known in the art, typically comprise a drain cleaning cable (or snake) coiled within a rotatable drum. In operation, the snake is inserted into the piping circuit, and then the drum is rotated as the snake is extended forward to maneuver through pipe fittings and clear the obstruction. The end of the snake typically includes a cutter or auger tip to engage the obstruction, which may then be pushed through the pipe circuit or pulled out of it as the snake is retracted. Heavy-duty devices are typically mounted on a frame which may be positioned near an access point to the drain that requires obstruction removal.
Light-duty drain cleaners, such as those employed for removing hair from drain pipes, are commonly hand-operated. Some obstructions are more difficult to remove and require a motor-operated device for enhanced power and increased speed of rotation. U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,436 discloses a drain cleaning device operated with a removable hand crank that may be replaced by a drill motor. The unit is held in position by one hand in contact with a pistol grip, which in turn is attached to the rotatable drum. Another type of cleaning device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2008/0083058. A telescoping plumbing device of limited rotational capabilities is extended and retracted telescopically to abruptly and forcibly remove an obstruction in the pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,207 discloses a cleaning device that contains a small, insertable motor located near the leading end of the snake. Most of the length of the snake does not rotate. The tip at the leading end of the snake is attached to the motor and therefore rotates to remove the target obstruction.
Spartan Tool Co. of Mendota, Ill., offers a power snake device under the product designation, “Model 81.” This device includes an alternating current motor, which is attached to a standard electrical wall outlet with a supplied power cord. Because it operates exclusively on AC power, an outlet must be located nearby to operate the device. Rigid Tool Co. of Elyria, Ohio, offers a similar motorized snake, model “K-40” operable from standard AC wall outlet. Rigid Tool Co. also offers a cordless, battery-operated power snake device, model “K-40B,” which further includes a battery charger that may be plugged into a wall outlet.
The hand-held devices presently available on the market have the advantages of being lightweight, highly portable, and relatively inexpensive. They are, therefore, ideal for light-duty drain cleaning operations such as those encountered in a residential home. Hand-held drain cleaners, however, are often not robust or powerful enough to remove difficult obstructions. Moreover, a device sufficiently designed for heavy-duty obstruction removal would be too unwieldy for an operator to hold while in use.
All of the known frame-mounted power snakes available require access to a standard AC wall outlet for use. In particular, the units with direct AC driven motors must be attached to a wall outlet with a power cord when the motor is in operation. At certain job sites, it may be problematic to find a suitable AC power outlet that is live, accessible, and located in sufficient proximity to supply power to the drain cleaner. Moreover, the need to access remote outlets introduces safety concerns, namely excessive use of electrical extension cords. These cords may need to run through areas that are wet or otherwise unsafe or inconvenient for the power snake operator. This problem is alleviated, to some extent, with the available battery operated drain cleaners. Access to a standard AC wall outlet is still required, however, to recharge the unit's batteries. This power source is not always conveniently accessible or even available at remote job sites. Moreover, even if the power source is available, the power snake will not operate if the battery loses its charge from, e.g. extended use or forgetting to plug the charger into the wall outlet. No backup power source, such as AC power from a wall outlet, may be used in this circumstance.
An additional shortcoming of the known power snake devices concerns the relative portability of the units. These units are mounted on frames which must be carried to the required location for use. Heavy-duty, powerful units tend to be heavy and cumbersome to handle, thereby leading to operator fatigue when carrying the snake to remote locations required for access to clogged drains. Furthermore, it may be necessary to carry these units in an awkward posture, thereby straining the user and leading to potential back injuries and the like.
What is needed is a powered drain cleaning device operable from a self-contained battery. Such battery would desirably be of the type normally employed for use on motorcycles, which would provide the power necessary to effectively operate the snake motor for heavy-duty obstruction removal while being sufficiently compact and lightweight to facilitate portability of the power snake. To avoid the need to obtain access to a standard AC wall outlet, the battery could be capable of recharge through an automotive recharging (alternator) circuit. In addition, the components could be mounted on a common frame with wheels attached, allowing the operator to roll the snake over substantially flat surfaces to facilitate ease of use and enhance user safety. An additional benefit would be realized if the device could optionally be connected to a standard AC wall outlet to run the motor directly from AC power in the event that the battery loses its charge, or to use AC power to recharge the battery in the event that motor vehicle charging is inconvenient or unavailable at the time.